Storage sling for vehicle side curtains



M. RAH R, 1R; 'STORAGE SLING FOR VEHICLE SIDE CURTAINS.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20, 1918.. 1,409,239.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Snueubz attozkeqf M. RAHR, In. STORAGE SLING FOR VEHICLE SIDE CURTAI NS.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20, 1918- 1,409,239. Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- (Mommy UNITED STATES MAXIMILIAN RAHR, JR, 0! MANITOWOC, wIsooNsIN.

STORAGE SLING FOR VEHICLE SIDE CURTAINS.

Specification of Letters yatent. Patented DIar, 14. 1922,

Application filed September 20, 1918. Serial 110/254,938.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN Rana, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manitowoc, county of Manitowoc, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Storage Slings for Vehicle Side Curtains, of which the followin is a specification. I

y invention relates to improvements in storage slings or receptacles for vehicleside curtains.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved overhead receptacle for such curtains which will be easily accessible for curtain adjusting and removing operations, and which, when the curtains are in place, will be adequately supported to prevent sagging, the curtains, (or upper wall of the curtain pocket), being pushed upwardly against the under surface of the canopy, and the lower wall of thesling presenting a substantially straight, smooth, and even surface.

I contemplate storing the curtains directly under the vehicle top by means of a sling which may have a pocket or curtain receiving chamber thereon, provided with a slack or expansible upper wall. One end of the sling may be detachably supported so as to drop down to facilitate the removal of the curtains from the pocket or their replacement therein, the slingbeing supported or suspended in a substantially horizontal position between the bows of the vehicle top when in storage position.

In the drawings, 7

Figure lis a view of my curtain receptacle or sling in curtain receivingposition, showing. the curtain receiving side.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1, with dotted lines showing the sling in curtain storing position. 1

Figure 3 is aview similar to Figure 2, but with the forward brace bow lifted in an initial canopy folding operation.

' form of pocket.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the same.

Like partsare identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In each form of construction illustrated in the drawings, the bottom of the sling is adapted to be supported, under tension, be tween a pair of bows, preferably between the forward brace bow l, and the bow 2 which projects upwardly from the front seat of the vehicle. In Figures 1, 2, and 3, the bottom wall of the sling proper comprises a strip or sheet of canvas 5 secured to the front bow in any suitable manner, inclicated at 6. On the upper side of this sheet 5, (the side which is uppermost when the device is in curtain storing position), I preferably provide a curtain receiving pocket by attaching to the sheet 5 another sheet 7 of such dimensions that its end margins must be pushed inwardly to co-incide with the end margins of the sheet 5. The term end margins is used to designate the margins which are at the sides of the vehicle, or its canopy, the sheet extending transversely of the vehicle body. The two sheets 5 and 7 are secured together by stitching along'their end margins, andalso along the margin which constitutes the bottom of the pocket when the sling is in curtain receiving position, as shown by full lines in Figure 2, if the two sheets 5 and 7 comprise separate pieces of material. If they comprise a single piece of material, such material is so cut that the part forming the pocket wall 7 is a little longer than the part forming the pocket wall 5, and the two walls are integrally connected at the bottom, as shown in Figure 2, and it becomes unnecessary to stitch these walls together along the bottom of the pocket.

The object of making the pocket wall 7 longer than the pocket wall 5 is to facilitate the bulging of the wall 7. while allowing the wall 5 to be drawn taut between the bows, thereby avoiding the unsightly appearance of an overhead pocket, as heretofore constructed.

.Any suitable means may be provided for securing or supporting the bottom wall 5 of the pocket between the bows. In the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, I employ a series of stays 10, preferably composed of strips of tape, and I connect eachof these stays at one end with the forward brace bow, either by passing them about the bow or tacking them thereto by means of ordinary tacks or screws. These stays pass along the under surfaces of the pocket wall 5, and project beyond the pocket farenough to be connected with the bow 2, the latter being preferably provided with a corresponding series of stays or strips of tape 12, having buckles 13 on their free ends to receive the ends of the stays 10. With this construction, assuming the pocket to be in curtain receiving position, as shown in Figure 2, the curtains may be inserted in the through'thebuckles 13and drawn'taut, and held in such position by means of the buckles and the connecting straps or stays 12. In case there is any tendency of the stays to stretch and permit a sagging of the pocket, the slack can be easily taken up by pulling the stays farther through the buckles, and again securing them under tension. The end stays may be drawn through the buckles under sufficient tension to prevent flexion toward the center line of the vehicle canopy, drawing upon the ends of the pocket in oppo= site direct1ons,or toward the sides of the canopy; By properly storing the curtains in the pockets with the view of avoiding irregularities and allowing the curtains to rest in flat superposed positions throughout substantially the entire area of the pocket, it is obvious that the sling will be adapted to hold the curtains against the under surface of-the canopy, and within a space sub stantially equal to the thickness of the bow in its vertical dimensions.

In Figures 3 and 4, I have illustrated a form of construction in which the curtains may at all times be viewed, by the occupants I of the vehicle, and any tendency to displacewall of the pocket.

ment may therefore be observed." In this construction, the bottom wall of the pocket is omitted, and a greater number of stays employed, the stays 10, constituting the tension stays, adapted to be ei'igaged with the rear bow or with supporting buckles connected with the rear bow as above described. The intermediate stays 20 are secured to the respective margins oi? the upper In this case, the 'upper wall 21.01 the pocket is secured to the front ends of all of the stays, and is adapted to be attached directly to the forwardbmv.

In the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5,-the upper wall 21 of the-pocket is made somewhat wider than the. length of the stays orv tapes 20, and the margins are pushed toward; each other until they coincidc with the ends 'ofthe stays 20, whereupon they are stitchedthereto. They are correspondingly stitched to portions of the stays 10 of equal length to that of the stays 20. Ii desired, crossed stays 20 may also be extended diagonally across the upper wall of the pocket from onecorner to another, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the buckles are not essential, for the reason that the curtains may be readily inserted between the'stays and the upper wall 21 of the pocket from either end of the pocket, and therefore it is not necessary .to allow the pocket to swing downwardly to facilitate inserting the curtains. Thestays 10" may therefore be di rectly and permanently connected with the how 2, as shown in Figure 4, it being pos sible to detach them by withdrawing the tacks or screws whenever it becomes neces-. sary to take up slack due to the stretching of the tapes. v a

I claim V 1. The combination. with a vehicle canopy top, of a curtain receiving pocket having one of its walls connected with the top along one margin and having another ,wall connected with the first mentioned wall along the re.

mainin mar ins said wallsbeinmse oai'able along one margin to permit the insertion and removal of curtains, and means "for detachably supporting the closed portion Of the pocket from said canopy top. l

2. The comb' iation oi an,;autoniobile having a canopy top,-of a curtain receiving a vertical position, and means tt'(u"retaining I the pocket in substantially horizontal. position adjacent the canopy top after the storage or removal of curtains.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 7 inthe presence of two witnesses. 1

v MAXIMILIAN KAI-IR, 'Jn. lVitnesses: f

O. C. Wnnnn, h A. J. IWoKern-mrv. 

